High-tension disconmecting switch



Aug. 7, 1923. A www;

v F. 1P. LAWLER HIGH TENSION DISCONNECITING SWITCH Filed Aug. 15 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet l i y' infini-mmh Imefezmors Fmam R Lawlew viommgr Aug. i7, lM923.

' F. P. LAWLER HIGH TENSION DISCONNECTING SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l5.. 1921 We@ W1 Patented "il, 1923,

fr et tlg renna r. nirwana, or san rnancrsem cararonnra Application tiled August 15, 1921. Serial l'o, 492,553.

T o all whom t may concer/i: i

Be it known that 1, FRANK P. LAwLnR, a citizen of the United States, residing. at the city and county ot San Francisco and State of tjalifornia, have invented, new and useful Improvements in High-Tension Dis- A,connecting Switches, of which the following is a specification. l This invention relates to electric switches, and especially to a disconnecting switch adapted for the control of extra high Vtension` electric circuits where a great length of clear separation between the contacts is re uired within a minimum of space.

ne of the objects of the present invention? is to generally improve and simplify switches of the character described, and esl pecially to provide a switch in which the contacts are arranged in line formation and `movable to a common plane', and in which large clearance between the contacts is ohtained in a minimum ot' space. A\nothcr object of the invention is to obtain a switch which has no tendency to change its setting `through the intluence of gravity t`ollowin;r the mechanical failure of any part; and `further, to provide a switch which may be disposed either above or below a suitable support with equal facility. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists ot` the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hercinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference wto the accompanying drawings, in whichi Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a doublebreak, sectionalizing switch employing thc carriage type of operating mecl'mnism.

Fig. Q is a detailed cross. section of the bas showing the position ot. one oi' thc carriagcs.

Fig. 3 is a Side elevation of a double disconnecting switch which may he used for isolating an oil circuit breaker, said switch also employing the carriage type of operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a single-break sectionalizing switch employing the carriage type of operating` mechanism.

Figure 5 isa view in diagram showing the operating means for the carriages.

Referring to the drawings in' detail, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, A. indicates a base, upon which the switch is mounted. The base in this instance consists of a pair l of interspaced channel beams 2, upon which) are supported a plurality of contacts, such` as indicated at 3, 4, 5 and 6. rEhe cont/acts for opening and closing' the circuit through the main line shown at 7 are of theY wellknown bayonet and socket type. Two of the contacts are stationary and arerigidlysecured to pillar insulators of suitableV insuJ lating capacity for the voltage employed, said insulators being indicated 'at 8 and 9. The remaining contacts 4 and 5 are similarly supported by pillar insulators, as shown at 10 and 11, but they are movable with relation to the stationary contacts, as will herein-4 after be described. l v l To accomplish this movement the pillarsy .10 and 11 are each supported by a carriage,

shown at 1Q and 13, respectively. rl`he carriages are supported by rollers and the rollers are in turn disposed between the channel beams which form tracks and guides therefor. The upper contacts Il and are connected by means ot' a pair of toggle links 15, while the carriages 12 and 13 arel connected by means of an endless cable 16. Forming a portion of the cable is a sprocket chain 17, and adapted to support this end of the cable is a sprocket gear 18 which is secured on a shaft 19; this shaft being provided with a hand wheel or other means by which turning movement may be imparted. The opposite end of the cable passes over an idler pulley 20. The cable is otherwise crossed, as shown at 21, to permit the carriages to more in opposition to each other when the circuit through the contactsl is to bc established or broken.

The linc conductors, shown at 7, are insulated with relation to the base A by means of dead end insulators 22, and a connection is formed between the line conductors and the contacts 3 and (3 by means of jumper connections 23. v

ln actual operation if it is desired to close the circuit between the line conductors,

it is only necessary to turn the shaft 19 in one direction. This turning movement wilb be transmitted to the cable connecting the carriages by means of the chain section 17 and the carriages will move away from each other until the dotted line position, shown at 2st, is assumed; the circuit between the line conductors being then established, as the toggle links or a conductor of suitable capacity attached to the same forms a conneclto lll

tion between. the contacts el and 5. Again, if it is desired to break the circuit between the line conductors, it is only necessary to turn shaft 19 in the opposite direction. Such turning movement will cause the carriages 'to move together or assume the central position shown in E l.. A. large air gap will then be formed between the contacts 3 and l and similarly between the contacts 5 and 6, thus positively breaking the circuit through the line conductors.

ln cases where a gang of switches is provided, as in opening the circuit on a polyphase line, the base A. will naturallyv constitute a common support for the several switches. These switches are, however, arranged in line formation, as shown in Fig. l, and are only separated a suflicient distance to obtain the air gap or insulation required. The switch may thus be duplicated as many times as required and the shaft 19 may be extended so that all switches may be operated in unison.

The switch as shown and described in Fig. l is practically identical to the modified form shown in Fig. 3. The switch there illustrated is a disconnecting switch for isolating an oil circuit breaker 2G when inspecting the same or otherwise. The switch shown in Fig. 3 is constructed almost identical. to that illustrated in Fig. l; the only difference being -that the insulating pillars and the conl tacts carried. thereby are suspended or dis- B0, is in this instance connected with a pair liti posed below the base instead of above the same, as shown in Fig. l. The toggle links are also eliminated and heavy iiexible condoctors 2? are substituted therefor, said conductors forming the circuit between the oil circuit breaker and the movable contacts. y,

in Fig. el a single-break sectionalizi'ng lsvsfitclfi is shown. The main line, indicated at ci dead end insulators 3l which in turn are secured to a. tower arm 32 or like support.

' l isp'osedA below the tower arm is a base member B, and mounted thereon is a pair of carriages 33. Each carriage forms a support for a pillar insulator and each insulator, in turn, carries a contact which is connected by 'means of a flexible conductor or juniper 34 with the line conductors 30.

In other words, a single-break switch is employed in which both contacts are movable; this being accomplished by mounting the contacts on separate carriages which are movable to and away from each other b the same mechanism as' that indicated in F1o. 1. .A comparatively compact, simple switch is in this manner produced and a large sepa.- raticn is obtained between the contacts when the circuit isl broken without resorting to the use of unnecessary space. In fact, one4 of the important features ofthe present invention is the provision of a switch which perincassa mits the formation of considerable clearance between the contacts when they are separated, a switch in which overhead clean ance may be reduced to a minimum and in which cost of installation and construction is low compared with the other switches of this type.

This can readily Abe appreciated when it is stated that any blade switches opening into a vertical plane naturally require a large overhead clearance. Similarly any blade switches rotating in a horizontal plane require extraordinary separation between the several switches where they are arranged in group formation. All such unnecessary clearance is avoided in the present instance as the only separation required between switches in a gang is only such as is required for insulation. This is due to the fact that I the contacts of each individual switch are arranged in line formation and tra-vel in said line formation when closing or breakin A the circuits.

hile bayonet contacts are here illustrated, it is obvious that any other form of contact may be employed and also that changes may be made in the design and construction and that' the materials and linish of the several parts may be such as the ein' perience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions may de-` mand..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j 1. An electric switch comprising a base member, a pair of aligned contacts supported thereby, and means for `imparting movement to said contacts simultaneously in opposite directions on a common plane and on a, common longitudinal axis to make or break a circuit through the same.

2. An electric switch comprising a base member, a plurality of contacts arranged in line formation and supported by the base, and means for imparting movement to the contacts simultaneously inopposite directions on a common plane and along the line for formation to make or break a circuit at two points.

3. An electric switch comprising a base member, a plurality of stationary and movable contacts arranged 'in line formation an' supported upon the base, and means for iinparting movement to the movable contacts simultaneously in opposite directions on a common plane and along the line of formation .to open orclose a circuit through the contacts.

4. An electric switch comprising a support,- a guidewayj thereon, a pair of stationary contacts, a pair of contacts insulated with relation to the ideway and movable therein and located tween and. in alignment with the stationary contacts, and

les

means for imparting movement to the contacts to and away from eacli other.

5. An electric switch comprising a base member, a. traclrway formed thereon, a stationary Contact disposed at each end of the trackway and insulated therefrom, a pair of movable contacts supported by the traclrway and insulated therefrom., said movable conn tacts being interposed between the stationary contacts and all of said contacts being arranged in line formation, and means for vimparting movement to the movable contacts simultaneously in opposite directions to and away from the stationary Contactn 6. [in electric switch comprising' a base member, a straight traclrway secured thereto, an insulating pillar disposed at each end of the tracltway, a, contact carried by each pillar, a pair of carriages supported by the traclrnay and disposed between tbe stationary pillars, an insulating pillar supported by eacli carriage, a Contact supported by eacli last named insulating pillar, means connecting said last named contacts and permitting separation of the and means for in'iparting n'ioveinent to tbe carriages along the traclmvajf simultaneously in opposite diri tions to more tbe movable contacts to and away from the stationary contacta.

7. in electric switch coniprising,l av base member, a straight tracliway secured thereto, an insulatinel pillar disposed at each end oi the tracliway, a Contact carried by eacli pillar, a pair' of carriages supported by tlie traclrway and disposed between tbe statiiiinary illars, an insulating pillar supported by each carriage, a contact supported by cacli las* named insulating:r pillar, means connecting; said last named contacts and pen 'niilitinpr :separation ol the saine, an endless cable connected with the carriages, a driving and an idler pulley supporting,` libe saine, said. cable being crossed to move tbe carriages simultancously in opposite directions, and means for imparting" movement to tbe driving pulleyn ln :i se" a simio4x tra( the rliaracl er described, ut a pair olf carriages ,calidad and suppe ell by lic lrackway, an insulating pillar on eacli carriage, a contact on die upper end ol each insulating willar, means A,for moving tlie carriages simultaneously in opposite directions, an elec lo conducting lino, a dead end insulator posed in said lino, and a flexible com l eoniiccting each dead end of tbe lino respective contacts.

a switch of tlic character tracl: nicmber, a dead described,

end insu ses latcr disposed at each end of the track member, a line conductor connected to each dead end insulator, a stationary pillar insulator supported at'eacn end ci* the track member, a Contact disposed on the upper end of ea'cb. of said insulators, a jumper connection between each endof the line conductors and said contacts, and a pair of connected contacts movable simultaneously in opposite directions in line formation between the stationary contacts.

1G. ln a switch of the character described, a pair ot' line conductors, dead end insulators separating tbe same, a pair of pillar insulators disposed adjacent to each dead end insulator, a Contact on the upper end of each pillar insulator, means connecting said contacts with the line conductors, and a pair ot connected contact members disposed between the iii-st named contacts and movable in line formation simultaneously7 in opposite directions between said contacts to make or brealr a circuit through tbe same.

lll. ln a switch ol the character described, a base having a straight trackway, insulating pillars located at the ends of the trackway, stationary contacts supported on the upper en-ls of the said pillars, line conductors connected with the stationary contacts, and means located in alignment with the stationary contacts for opening and closing' circuit through the line conductors, said means including a carriage movable alongtlie traclm'ay, an insulating pillar mounted on tbe said carriage, a movable Contact supported by tbe insulating pillar of the carriage and toggle links connected with the movable Contact.

l2. fi switch ol the character described comprising in combination with a power line a. base having a straight trackway in longitudinal alignment with the power line and interposed in a break in said line, fixed insulating pil-lars disposed at the ends of said traclway, stationary contacts supported by said pillars and receiving the free ends of the line at the break tliereol", and means movable along die traclrway and in an aligned patli with the power line to establish anlelectrical connection between tbe con tacts carried by the lined pillars, said means comprising,l a movable pillar, a movable com tact supported therebyY and permanent articulate connect-ions carried by the movable pillar for establishing an electrical connection between tlie contacts on ixed pillars.

Rilllll'i P. LAWVLER.

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